Sign In / Sign Up

Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper
Release date: 1976-09-23
Rating: 5.9
Votes: 49
Genres: Drama, Thriller
A serial killer whose mother was a prostitute starts killing streetwalkers as a way of paying back his mother for her abuse.

Reviews

Wuchak

Wuchak

**_“Any back alley street is where we'll probably meet”_** Helmed by Jess Franco and released in 1976, “Jack the Ripper” is a well-done interpretation of the serial killer of the Whitechapel district of London with Klaus Kinski in the title role. Keep in mind that the murderer was never identified or arrested and so every cinematic account that reveals the killer’s identity is a fabrication. This is Victorian horror in the manner of Hammer’s "Hands of the Ripper" (1971), which dealt with the hypothetical daughter of the Whitechapel slasher, as well as "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" (1960). The latter is the better of the two and this one’s about on par with it. I realize that "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" dealt with the fictitious Mr. Hyde, but the two killers are somewhat linked in that Stevenson’s novella was published 2.5 years before the Ripper slayings debuted; and the stage production of “Dr. Jekyll” in London, 1888, had to be shut down due to the hysteria over the ghastly Ripper killings in which even those who merely played murderers on stage were considered suspects. For a colorful low-budget production that combines the two slayers, check out "Edge of Sanity" (1989) with Anthony Perkins. Like “Edge of Sanity,” this version with Klaus Kinski doesn't hold back with its depictions of the sadistic and debauched. As such, there's an amount of sordidness and gore, which is apropos in light of the grisly subject. If you're in the mood for a Victorian milieu, black coats, London fog, cobblestone streets, gas lamps, alluring women, burlesque entertainment, a ghastly killer and lush colors, "Jack the Ripper" should fill the bill. It's the precursor to "From Hell" (2001), 25 years earlier. Lina Romay (not the elder singer from America) stands out on the feminine front as brunette Cabaret dancer Marika. She happened to be the quickie director’s mate for four decades (they officially married in 2008, four years before her death; Jess died from a stroke the following year). There are a couple of other notable females, of course. I should add that there’s some nudity with one thin actress shown totally nude; just a heads up. The flick runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in Zürich, Switzerland, which is about fifteen miles from the border of southwest Germany. Establishing shots were done in London. GRADE: B

Movie Recommendation

  • Legends of the Fall
    Legends of the Fall
    1994-12-23
    In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow lives on a ranch in the wilderness with his sons, Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel. Eventually, the unconventional but close-knit family are bound by loyalty, tested by war, and torn apart by love, as told over the course of several decades in this epic saga.
    More...
  • Aguirre, the Wrath of God
    Aguirre, the Wrath of God
    1972-12-29
    A few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, a Spanish expedition led by the infamous Aguirre leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon River in search of the lost city of El Dorado. When great difficulties arise, Aguirre’s men start to wonder whether their quest will lead them to prosperity or certain death.
    More...
  • The Brain
    The Brain
    1988-11-03
    Dr. Blake runs a TV show called "Independent Thinkers", which is sort of a Scientology-like self-help/religion program. But he's not making his audience think any more independently - with the help of an alien organism he calls The Brain, he's using brainwashing and mind control. The only thing that stands between them and world domination is a brilliant but troubled high school student with a penchant for pranks...
    More...
  • Indestructible Man
    Indestructible Man
    1956-03-24
    A scientific experiment involving subjecting a corpse to an extreme charge of electricity accidentally revives an executed criminal and makes him impervious to harm, allowing him to seek revenge on his former partners, and deal similarly with anyone else who gets in his way.
    More...
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey
    2001: A Space Odyssey
    1968-04-02
    Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
    More...
  • Dead Poets Society
    Dead Poets Society
    1989-06-02
    At an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.
    More...
  • Knives Out
    Knives Out
    2019-11-27
    When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.
    More...
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home
    Spider-Man: No Way Home
    2021-12-15
    Peter Parker is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
    More...
  • A Quiet Place
    A Quiet Place
    2018-04-03
    A family is forced to live in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.
    More...
  • Doctor Sleep
    Doctor Sleep
    2019-10-30
    Still scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance faces the ghosts of the past when he meets Abra, a courageous teen who desperately needs his help -- and who possesses a powerful extrasensory ability called the "shine".
    More...
  • Dune
    Dune
    2021-09-15
    Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
    More...
  • Joker
    Joker
    2019-10-01
    During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.
    More...
  • Jumanji
    Jumanji
    1995-12-15
    When siblings Judy and Peter discover an enchanted board game that opens the door to a magical world, they unwittingly invite Alan -- an adult who's been trapped inside the game for 26 years -- into their living room. Alan's only hope for freedom is to finish the game, which proves risky as all three find themselves running from giant rhinoceroses, evil monkeys and other terrifying creatures.
    More...
  • Palm Springs
    Palm Springs
    2020-07-10
    When carefree Nyles and reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated when they find themselves unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.
    More...
  • Shutter Island
    Shutter Island
    2010-02-14
    World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor.
    More...
  • Black Widow
    Black Widow
    2021-07-07
    Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
    More...
  • La La Land
    La La Land
    2016-12-01
    Mia, an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian, a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
    More...
  • Barbie
    Barbie
    2023-07-19
    Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
    More...
  • Tenet
    Tenet
    2020-08-22
    Armed with only one word - Tenet - and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
    More...
  • The Substance
    The Substance
    2024-09-07
    A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
    More...

Similar Movies